Membrane unit structure



April 16, 1.935. c. s. STROM MEMBRANE UNIT STRUCTURE `Filed May 14, 1932 INVENTOR CARL SST/20M.

A'TTORNE Patented pr. 16, 1935 STATES ramos FF iCE MEMBRANE UNIT STRUCTURE poration of Illinois Application May 14, 1932, Serial No. 611,333

15 Claims.

This invention relates to building structures and means therefor, and more particularly relates to the construction of interior building surfaces where, for example, it is desired to provide sound insulation and/or fire protection.

In the construction of building interiors, such rooms, halls, auditoriums, industrial and commerclal quarters, passageways, or any other building interiors where, by reason of commotion, mechanical noises, talking, or the like, disagreeable acoustical confusion or distortion results, and it is desired to obtain acoustical insulation or correction, it becomes highly desirable to provide means associated with the building surface to secure the necessary acoustical control.

To this end various expedients have been suggested, among which it has long been recognized that a perforated metallic membrane, backed by sound-absorbing material, secured adjacent a building surface, provides a sound insulating medlum having signal advantages. In order to facilitate erection of a metallic membrane surface, however, it has been suggested to divide the metallic membrane into a plurality of membrane units, adapted to be connected `in place on suitable support means adjacent a building surface. Difficulty has, however, been encountered in installing these membrane units, both because of the labor attendant upon erection and because of the poor quality oi' surface resulting after erection. Means y which have been suggested heretofore for securingthe membranes in place have generally called for undue expenditure of time and effort with the resultant high installation cost and, then, after the membranes had been placed, they would not be aligned in a substantially uniform plane, whereby objectionable high lights and uneven light reflection would be apparent, whereby the aesthetic appeal ofthe surface was destroyed. r

Moreover, where the membranes were provided with perforations to facilitate the travel of sound waves therethrough, to be absorbed by the absorbent material behind the membranes, the absorbent material was generally supported directly byv the membranes. Much difficulty was, therefore, encountered when lt became desirable to wash the surface, since the liquid washing medium would penetrate the absorbent material and then drip downwardly to again soil and dlsfigure the exposed surface of the membrane.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a membranous building surface which is inexpensive and simple to install, which, after installation, will present a uniform surface erection, and which will reduce the labor of installation to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved clips for securing membrane units in building construction; also to improve building construction in other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved membrane units;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation through an acoustical ceiling construction, embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective of a perforated metallic membrane embodying my invention, provided with a, modified form of clip; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, sectional perspective of one of my membrane units provided with a clip adapted to engage with an improved form of support rail or runner.

In the co-pending application of James S. Oiutt and Carl S. Strom, Serial No. 574,524, filed November 12, 1931, entitled Acoustical ceiling construction, there are shown and described in considerable detail improvements in acoustical constructions of a type herein contemplated. My present disclosure, therefore, contemplates certain additional means to facilitate erection of this type of construction.

Membranes l0. which may be made of sheet iron, sheet aluminum, or other metallic or nonmetallic sheet material, are preferably provided with substantially perpendicular, peripheral flanges Il, provided with an intermediate section I2, extending upwardly at an obtuse angle to the membranes l0, sections il and I2 thus forming beveled sides on the membranes. A

plurality of off-sets i3 are preferably provided in the flanges il, said oli-sets being adapted vto receive the substantially U-shaped portion i5 of clips adapted for attaching the membrane units in building construction. Off-sets i3 preferably and an upstanding resilient tongue 45.

comprise bands severed from the flanges II and bridging the slots thus formed in off-set relationship to the flanges. I have found it desirable to provide knock-outs or slots I6 in off-sets I3 to receive the lower legs of the clips. Perforations I8 are preferably provided in the membranes I8 so that after said membranes have been installed sound waves will be permitted to travel therethrough to be absorbed by sound absorbent material I9 supported in spaced relationship between membranes I 8 and building surface 28.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the clips for securing membranes III to flanges 22 of support runners 23, comprise af base 25 having a depending flange 25 at one end adapted to contact membranes III and space base 25 therefrom. U-shaped portion I5 at the other eind of base 25 is adapted to engagewith an off-set I3 of a membrane I0. Portion I5 is provided with(- leg 21, bent somewhat downwardly to facilitate engaging with an off-set I3 and to prevent accidental displacement of the clip. Resilient tongue 29, provided with shoulder 38, whichy is secured by means of spot welding or the like to base 25, engages over flanges 22=of arunner 23. Loop 3| extends upwardly from shoulder 38 and then downwardly to abut base,25, said loop 3I improving the resiliency and contact bearing of tongue 29 with a flange 22. e

In a ceiling, the runners 23 are preferably suspended from the building surface 28 by means of quick-gripping, L-shaped hanger brackets 33, having depending legs 34, provided at their lower ends with U-shaped clamps 35 adapted to grip upper flanges 36 of runners 2lb Toggle bolts, or the like, 31 secure hangers 33 to the surface 20. To insure positive gripping of clamps 35, a rod or bar 38, having hooks 39, is preferably provided to extend between adjacent hangers 33 to engage legs 34 thereof. -Rod38 also provides support for the sound absorbent material I9, which is preferably of a porous, fibrous nature, such as a pad of minerai wool, hairv cloth or vegetable fiber. This construction, it is evident, may be installed either in an old or new building with equally good results.

The modified form of clip illustrated in Figure 3, similarly to the form of clip heretofore described, preferably comprises a U-shaped portion I5 adapted to engage with an ofi-set I3 in the side of a'membrane I0, lower leg 4I of the portion I5 preferably extending through slot I6 in said off-set I3. Leg 4I'is preferably bent downwardly to contact membrane I0 and serves to retain the clip in position so that upper leg 42 of portion I5, which comprises a base extending substantially back over membrane I0, will be retained substantially parallel to the membrane in order to facilitate engagement of integral, return bent tongue 43 with a ange 22 of a runner 23.

In order to provide means for snapping the membranes I0 up into place against a supporting member, I provide a modified form of clip, similar to the clip illustrated in Figure 3, but preferably having a somewhat shorter base 44 As an example of the type of support rail with which this form of clip is adapted to engage, I have shown in Figure 4 an improved rail which I designed especially for .this type of construction. The rail preferably comprises a substantially triangular body portion, having a base 41, sides 48, and outwardly extending flanges 49 adapted tobe engaged by clamps 35 of hangers 33. Tongue angle as a side 48 of the rail, it is apparent, will resiliently snap into engagement with said side 48 when the membrane unit is pushed up against the rail.

My construction provides for positive frictional engagement of the supports to effectively maintain the membranes in a single plane and once the membranes are in place they will not be accidentally displaced. The sound absorbent material I9 is spaced away from the membranes III so that the exposed surface of the room may be freely decorated or washed and there is no likelihood of the liquid medium generally used'for the purpose coming in contact with the absorbent material. Moreover, by this construction there is provided a thoroughly flreproof structure, the membranes and supporting means being preferably of non-inflammable material, andthe sound 'absorbent means being also of a generally nonmyself precisely to these details, since manifestly,

the same may be considerably varied Without departing from the spirit of the invention as deilne in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In building construction, spaced parallel supports, membrane units forming a surface adjacent said supports, said membranes having upstanding flanges at the edges forming sides, clips for attaching said membranes to said supports, and offset portions in said sides, said offset portions having slots formed therein for insertion of said clips.

2. Incombination with a metallic membrane having upstanding flanges provided with slotted offsets, a clip for attaching said membrane to a building support, said clip comprising means for frictionally engaging said support, and substantially U-shaped means for engaging around an .offset in a flange of said membrane.

`standing side provided with a longitudinal offset,

a resilient clip comprising means for frictionally engaging with a building support, a substantially U-shaped portion engaging around said offset,

and the lowermost leg of said U-shaped portion being bent downwardlyto contact the base of said membrane to retain said clip in clipping position.

4. A membrane unit for building construction, comprising a planular blank, upstanding flanges Aon the edges of said blank, and a plurality of slotted offsets in opposite flanges to receive separable clip means for securing said membrane to a support.

5. A membrane unit for building construction, comprising a planular blank, the edges of said blank being bent upwardly in two sections, one of said sections being at an obtuse angle to said blank and the other section being substantially perpendicular to said blank, said sections forming beveled sides on said membrane, :1nd slotted oil'- sets in said perpendicular section adapted to receive clips for securing said membrane to a support.

6. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a pair of spaced furring strips,

in substantially the opposite direction, an acoustical tile formed as a foraminated pan having marginal flanges at opposite ends extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the main area with their edges abutting said outwardly facing surfaces of the respective furring strips, and extending longitudinally thereof in contact therewith, and means for securing said pan to the furring strips, including supporting clips connected to the marginal flanges of the pan and each having a part adapted to extend past the outwardly facing surfaces of the furring strip and engage said abutment surfaces.

7. In the construction defined in claim 6, the free end of each clip being formed with an outturned lug extending obliquely to the plane of the main area of said pan.

8. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a pair of spaced furring strips, an acoustical tile formed as a foraminated pan having marginal inturned flanges at opposite ends, said flanges being incised and having a portion depressed inwardly to form a strap or loop, and spring clips for securing the pan to the furring strips each including a leg portion adapted to be entered through one of said straps with its extreme end engaging the inner Wall of the pan, and with an intermediate portion overlapping the upper edge of the flange, the other end of said clip being shaped to yieldingly engage a co,- operatively formed abutment surface of the furring strip.

9. In a bulding construction, a building surface,

hanger means connected with said surface, rails supported by said hanger means, perforated, metallic membranes forming the exposed surface of said construction, said membranes being provided with offset straps in spaced, parallel relation thereto, and clips secured by said straps to said membranes for snapping said membranes into place adjacent said rails.

10. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced furring strips, acoustical tiles formed as foraminated pans having marginal flanges extending laterally with respect to the plane of the main area, said pans being disposed with their flanges adjacent the longitudinal centers of the furring strips, and means for securing the pans to the furring strips consisting of detachable supporting clips each having a portion eX- tending through'an aperture in the flange, with a portion overlying the outer surface of said flange, said flange adjacent the aperture being depressed to accommodate the overlapping portion of the clip, and said clips each having a portion adapted to firmly engage a co-operatively formed abutment of the furring strip.

l1. A building construction of the character indicated comprising a pair of spaced furring strips, an acoustical tile formed as a foraminated pan having marginal flanges extending laterally from the plane of the main central area, and means for securing the tile to the furring strips, including supporting clips detachably connected to said flanges and having portions adapted to engage cooperatively formed abutments of the furring strips, said clips each having a depending portion adapted to engage the flange of the pan for detachably holding the clip in place.

12. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced furring strips, acoustical tiles formed as foraminated pans having marginal flanges extending laterally with respect to the plane of the main area, said pans being disposed with their flanges adjacent the longitudinal centers of the furring strips, the flange of said pan adjacent the furring strip having a portion offset to form a strap or loop, and means for securing the pans to the furring strips including supporting clips formed of llat metal stock, each having a leg portion adapted to be extended through the strap of the pan, and each having a portion adapted when said leg portion is entered in the strap to engage the strap for holding the clip in position, said clips having portions opposite the leg adapted to engage co-operatively formed abutments of thefurring strips. l

13. A building constructionof the character indicated, comprising a pair of spaced furring strips having substantially flat outer surfaces, an acoustical tile formed as a foraminated pan having marginal flanges at opposite ends, extending substantially perpendicularly vto the plane of the main area, and means for securing the pan to the furring strips with the edge of each of said flanges disposed in close proximity to said flat surface of the furring strip, said means consisting of supporting clips detachably connected to the flanges and each having an intermediate portion overlapping the edge of the flange and an outer portion formed to engage an abutment surface of the furring strip, the outer edge of the flange being arranged, to accommodate said intermediate portion of the clip in a position substantially flush with said edge of the ilange.

' 14. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a pair of spaced furring strips, an acoustical tile formed asa foraminated pan having marginal inturned flanges at opposite ends, said flanges each having an offset portion to form a strap or loop, and means for securing the pan to the furring strips, including spring clips each having a leg portion adapted to be entered in one of said straps and an intermediate portion overlapping and seated in said offset, the other end of each clip being formed to yieldingly embrace the lower contour of the furring strip.

15. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a pair of spaced furring strips, an acoustical tile formed as a foraminated pan having marginal inturned flanges at opposite ends, said flanges being incised and having portions depressed to form straps or loops, and spring clips for securing the pan to the furring strips, said clips each having one end bent upon itself in spaced-apart relation for entry in the strap, the extreme tip of said end portion being provided With a portion engaging the pan for holding the clips in position, the other ends of the clips being formed to engage an abutment shoulder of the furring strip.

CARL S. STROM. 

